1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combined switch obtained by combining a push switch to be activated by a pressing operation and a rotary switch by a rotating operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional combined switch is already known which has tried to achieve a decrease in a component count and mounting area by providing the switch with a plurality of switch functions. Such a combined switch is used for the integration of a photographic mode changing switch and/or zoom switch with a shutter, for example, in a film camera, digital camera, or a like.
Such combined switches as above are disclosed in, for example, JP2000-331569 (Patent Reference 1, 18th to 26th paragraphs and the like) and JP11-306918A (Patent Reference 2, 12th to 23rd paragraphs and the like).
The combined switch disclosed in the Patent Reference 1 is realized by combining a tactile switch (push switch) and a rotary switch. In a base main body of the combined switch, fixed contacts for the tactile switch and fixed contacts for the rotary switch are formed. The contacts for the rotary switch are made up of one common fixed contact and nine fixed contacts. The common fixed contact is formed in a manner to be extended along a circle whose center is a central point of the base main body. The remaining nine fixed contacts are formed at equal intervals along one of concentric circles whose radius is larger than that of another of concentric circles serving as a reference circle for the common fixed contact.
The combined switch disclosed in the Patent Reference 2 is realized by combining a multidirectional switch and a rotary switch. The fixed contacts of the rotary switch are made up of eight contact portions and one common contact portion. The eight contact portions are positioned apart from one another approximately annularly. The common contact portion is formed approximately annularly in an inside portion surrounded by these eight contact portions.